iPad Car Deck Due from iRoc

Jackson Electronics, maker of the iRoc car stereo deck that lets you snap your iPhone into the face of the head unit, is planning an iPad version that will essentially put your iPad on the dashboard.

A special adaptor will be offered for the iRoc around Q1 next year, to let you snap the iPad in place onto the car stereo unit. The in-dash iRoc, with a built-in amplifier, gives you access to all your apps, which play through the car’s sound system. You get touch control from the iPad over Pandora, Sirius XM and other apps as you drive.

The basic iRoc was released in late summer for the iPhone and most iPods at $399. It sells through about 10 dealers at present, although Jackson expects to begin selling through distributors shortly. A double DIN version should also be available in the future.

The iPhone iRoc is also in a test trial at two Texas University book- and computer stores. Michael Gagliardi, president and CEO of Jackson Electronics (based in Austin, TX) said it working with the universities to create a business model for selling to students.

The schools are a target because many students have iPhones and “rely on them 24/7,” said Gagliardi. “We think it’s a sweet spot there.”

The university stores currently display the iRoc and Jackson hopes to team up with local stores to install the product.

One of the participating schools—Texas State in San Marcus—may also use iRoc as a test case for its MBA students, who, again, may create a new business model for selling the car deck, said Gagliardi. The other school in a test trial is the University of Texas at Austin.

The iRoc has a built-in 40 watt amplifier and 6 line outs for subwoofers and speakers, plus a built in microphone so you can speak on the phone while driving. It also has a single rotary knob for volume. There’s no USB, no radio and no CD player.